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Topic: Orthodox view of Justin Martyr - (Read 3050 times)

since enquiring I've read many conflicting views of Justin Martyr online, and I'm not sure where he stands in the eyes of the Orthodox. Is Justin Martyr a Canonical Orthodox Saint? How is Justin viewed in Orthodoxy?

"St. Justin Martyr" is known in Orthodoxy as "St. Justin the Philosopher" which is why you are probably not finding a lot of information about him from Orthodox sources. He is an Orthodox Saint and his feast is June 1st. Click here to see some information about him from the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. The recently glorified Serbian Saint, St. Justin Popovich, was named after St. Justin the Philosopher.

And here is an Icon of St. Justin the Philosopher from the Orthodox Church in China! See how far his fame has spread!

« Last Edit: July 31, 2006, 08:23:45 AM by ozgeorge »

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If you're living a happy life as a Christian, you're doing something wrong.

I would agree with George on the sainthood aspect of this topic. But fwiw, I would also add (as far as his actual writings go) that some caution is necessary. He had a tendency to exaggerate, or make claims based on very little evidence, if he thought that the argument would benefit his cause. This is typical of many apologists, and Justin was no different just because he had the word "Saint" added centuries later. For example, Justin made the absurd claim that Christians "marry only to produce children" (First Apology, 29), so as to make Christians look like moral people. Of course, most early Fathers, and even the Bible, would disagree with such a statement, but Justin's object was not to provide a treatise on Orthodoxy, it was simply to make Christiniaty look acceptable to people with certain biases (perhaps stoic, given these types of arguments). Anyway, I would suggest just reading through his writings, and then deciding what you think about him, rather than letting me (or anyone else) persuade you one way or the other.

I would also add (as far as his actual writings go) that some caution is necessary. He had a tendency to exaggerate, or make claims based on very little evidence, if he thought that the argument would benefit his cause. This is typical of many apologists, and Justin was no different just because he had the word "Saint" added centuries later. For example, Justin made the absurd claim that Christians "marry only to produce children" (First Apology, 29), so as to make Christians look like moral people.